Page 7 of An Arcane Education
At ten minutes to two, I remind Matty that I’ll be on a call for the next hour or so and to keep an eye on Christopher.
Once I’m in my room, I take a deep breath, lock the door behind me, and power on my laptop. My pulse is thrumming with anxiety and anticipation as I click the link to the meeting invite and smooth my hands over my wavy auburn hair in the video preview screen.
Here goes nothing.
I join the meeting, and the woman who appears on the screen is a pretty woman in her fifties, with brown hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail. She’s wearing a navy blazer over a white blouse, and the bookshelves behind her are filled to the brim with various books. To the left, I canmake out the edge of a window that’s letting in soft natural light.
She smiles warmly as she says, “Vivian, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. Due to the nature of the discussion, I felt it was more fitting to talk face-to-face rather than through email. I’m Clara, the director of admissions here at Arcadia Academy.”
“Thanks for responding so quickly and for setting this up,” I reply, feigning confidence as my hands shake under the desk. “I appreciate you being willing to discuss my concerns.”
“Of course. Most of our students are already aware of the existence of the Academy, but those who aren’t are often understandably hesitant or skeptical. So, I’d like to start by addressing the most pressing questions, if that’s alright with you.”
I nod.
“Wonderful.” She smiles. “You were correct in pointing out that you did not apply to Arcadia Academy—well, not by traditional means, anyway. You were recruited because you recently demonstrated abilities that most humans do not possess.”
I swallow around the knot in my throat. “How did you know?”
“There are elaborate systems put in place that register the use of magic, particularly when it’s uncontrolled or powerful. In a similar way to how earthquakes can be measured and pinpointed to a location, so too can magic be detected on our scale. Due to the intensity and suddenness of your abilities, you appeared in our system as an anomaly.”
And there it is, the word I’ve been reluctant to use—magic.
As I stay silent, struggling to come to terms with the reality of the situation, Clara continues. “I suspect you’ve spent the last couple of days questioning your sanity and reevaluating the world around you.”
I nod, still unable to speak.
“Well, I can assure you that this is very real, and though it will be an adjustment to the life you thought you knew, you are about to step into something so much greater than anything you’ve experienced.”
My breath catches in my throat as the words wash over me, and even though I feel like Ishouldbe terrified, I’m not. It’s like I’ve been waiting my entire life for this, to discover that there’s something greater out there waiting for me.
“Why is it just coming to me now?” I ask.
“Magic is not always apparent to those who have it. Many people exist with low-level abilities without even realizing it, attributing their powers to luck or talent. From my notes here—” she shuffles through some papers on her right before plucking one out and scanning it, “—it indicates you may have an aptitude for manipulating plant life?”
“Yes.”Apparently more than I thought.
“If you’ve tended to plants before, does it seem to come as second nature, almost as if you have a secret talent that others don’t?”
I nod.
“Well, there you go!” She releases the paper and claspsher hands together with a bright smile. “You’ve had the magic inside you all along. The power of it, though, comes from intention and emotion. Your… incident was a strong emotional trigger that released the latent power inside you, and your intention of fighting for your life amplified it.”
“That makes sense,” I say.
“Believe me, we’ve had students here who have discovered their magic through much more volatile and damaging circumstances. Once you’re here, you’ll learn how to control your power. And on that note, let’s talk about the academy.”
My chest flutters with excitement.
“Arcadia Academy, as you may have guessed by now, is a college for magicians. Usually, students come for their bachelor’s degrees and spend all of their college years here, but there are some outliers like yourself. Students choose a major, just like in a ‘normal’ college, but they also specialize in an Affinity. Affinities are the seven magical classifications, which can be broken down further by skill. You’ll learn more about that in time, though. Since you’d be coming in for a graduate degree program, you would need to take a significant number of credit hours in order to catch up on the general magic education courses and be certified in your Affinity. It would be an extremely demanding schedule.”
“So I’d still be doing my botany degree at the master’s level, but I’d also be taking classes for magic and whatever Affinity I have?”
“Exactly, though we’ll do all we can to space these out for you and give you the support you need. We’ll also dowhat we can to put you in classes that count toward both your degree and your Affinity certification.”
“Okay…” The next question I ask has my heart sinking as I brace myself for disappointment. “How much does attending cost?”
“Considering the unique circumstances of your acceptance, we’re prepared to offer you a full scholarship that covers housing, tuition, and meals on the condition that you’re able to maintain your grades and work hard in developing your abilities.”
